This invention relates to a process for preparing alkenes and cycloalkenes. In one aspect, this invention relates to the selective hydrogenation of alkadienes and of alkatrienes to alkenes. In another aspect, this invention relates to the selective hydrogenation of cycloalkadienes and of cycloalkatrienes to cycloalkenes. In still another aspect, this invention relates to the use of a supported palladium catalyst in the hydrogenation of cyclodiolefins.
Processes for the selective catalytic hydrogenation of alkadienes to alkenes and of cycloalkadienes to cycloalkenes over supported palladium catalysts have been disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,857,894, 3,804,916 and 3,360,577. However, there is an ever present need to develop new processes utilizing catalysts that aze more active and/or more selective for the production of alkenes and cycloalkenes than catalysts known in the art.